Cardiff surrendered completely to nearly three decades of Thrice’s relentless, shape-shifting brilliance, and not a single soul in The Tramshed wants it any other way.

Words & photos by James Crisp (@james_taking_pictures) | March 19, 2026

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From the moment the band stepped onto the stage, the room is utter chaos, in the best possible way of course.

The Cardiff crowd is epically loud, completely restless and oh so clearly up for a hell of a night, which is exactly what happened. Every word was shouted back at the band like it was straight from the heart. The pit never really let up, it was just always a constant swirl of energy that mirrors every shift in the bands music and if you know the evolution of Thrice then you’ll know that mirror is forever changing. It’s messy, sweaty, and so alive.

Thrice have been doing this since 1998 and you can feel and hear that history in every single song. They’ve never been a band to stay in one lane. Starting out in that post-hardcore world, before pushing through into something way way broader and more textured over time, quite literally sounding like a different band but somehow always have that Thrice authenticity. Records like The Artist in the Ambulance, The Alchemy Index and later releases such Major/Minor, Horizons/East as aren’t just fan favourites, they’re proof that this is a band that’s always and forever evolving, whether people expect it or not.

The setlist reflects that. The older songs hit hard with huge reactions, everyone shouting along like they’re back in their emotional teens but the newer material slots in just as naturally. There is a real sense of flow to the whole experience, heavier moments crashing full force into quieter ones and more reflective songs, before everything lifts right back up again. It never drags and never feels predictable.

And that’s the thing, this isn’t just about noise or nostalgia. Seeing Thrice live, especially in a room like The Tramshed, makes you realise how much these songs stick and just stay with you throughout life. They’re tied to different parts of you, whether that’s good, bad, or somewhere in right between. Hearing them now, surrounded by people who quite clearly feel the same way as myself, hits in a way that’s actually hard to explain without sounding overly dramatic, but it’s real.

Thrice might not be the flashiest, “look at me” band out there, in fact they are quite the opposite actually and they’re not trying to be something they are not. But nights like this remind you why they’ve lasted nearly 3 decades and still continue to go on strong. No crazy gimmicks, no pretending, just a band that still cares, playing songs that still mean something, to a crowd that will always 100% get it.